Shoehorn



Aug- 29, 1939- E. B. MORGAN 2,171,310

SHOEHORN Filed Feb. 14, 1939 Zw/[dilaga Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparel apparatus and more particularly toapparel apparatus of the shoe-horn type.

Heretofore in the manufacture of shoe-horns, it has been a practice insome instances to make the shoe-horn of sheet material. Such horns arefrequently rigid and molded to conform generally with the contours ofthe foot and hence function with nominal efliciency. However, sucharticles leave much to be desired in points of safety, convenience andsuitability. For instance, not only are conventional shoe-hornscharacterized by sharp areas which cause painful bruises whenaccidentally stepped on, but the requisite curvature prevents them frompacking fiat and, in addition totheir length, renders them too bulky forcarrying on the person. Furthermore, the sharp e-dges and unyieldingstructure cause them to catch on the threads of hose causing holes anddestructive runs on the latter.

The present invention contemplates a shoehorn composed of a footengaging portion consisting of a polished, flexible wire shield perVmanently retained by a iiexible leather pocket or holder. The wireshield may consist of a single strand of serpentine bent wire lying inseveral aligned lengths and is arranged to be retractible to lie flat inthe holdei` when not in use. When Withdrawn to extend beyond the holder,both shield and holder may manually be bent to conform comfortably tothe exact curvature of the heel, The wire of the shield is preferablyplated to insure smoothness and eliminate possibility of corrosion; andboth the shield and pocket are free from sharp or unyielding surfaces,

The invention will be fully understood by referring to the followingdetailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawingforming a part thereof, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of ashoe-horn constituting one embodiment of the invention applied to aconventional shoe fragmentarly shown in broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a plan View, partly in section, of the shoe-horn of Fig. l,showing in broken lines the shield portion extended to operativeposition; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing theflexible shoe-horn bent in either direction to conform with thecurvature of the shoe.

Referring to the drawing wherein identical parts are indicated bysimilar reference numerals, the employment of a shoeehorn lll embodyingthe invention is indicated in Fig. 1. The horn includes a holder Ilcomposed of corresponding leather sheets I2 and I3 assembled with thedressed side I4 out and the undressed side I5 abutting. To form theholder, said leather sheets are formed with slightly flaring edges i6, Iand each has a straight end i8 and opposite round end I9, The pocket isconstructed by binding sheets I2 and I3 together with continuousstitching 20 extending from the straight edge I8 down Wardly along edgesI6 and round end i9,

An important feature of horn` Iii is shield 22 consisting preferably ofa single strand of relatively stiff, smooth, heavily plated springbronze wire 23. By referring to the drawing it will be observed thatwire 23 is bent in serpentine fashion to lie flat, opposite ends 24being curved and protected in the bottom of holder i I, and straightportions 26 between ends 24 lying substantially parallel between curves2l at opposite ends of the shield.

While the strand 23 is referred to as being Wire, it may be of anysuitable material and the connecting curved end portions 2l thereof givethe shield, as a whole, the flexible resiliency which characterizes thedevice. By reason of these connectingend portions 2l the relativelystraight portions 26 are normally maintained in substantially the sameplane and allow the shield to be deformed from itsnormal flat positionto conform under conditions of use as shown in the drawing to the heelof the shoe and the foot and after such use to return the straightportions 2li to their normally flat position or plane.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2, it will be observed that shield 22 incompleted form has straight end 28 for reception at the bottom of holderI l and also has curved end 3l? arranged to project at the top beyondholder II. It will be understood that the pocket and holder correspondas to dimensions to cause the shield to extend entirely across theinterior of the holder.

The wire stock employed or the other material which forms the strand 23,is preferably rounded in cross section and has a smooth polishedsurface, thus enabling the shield 22 to be slidably moved in and out ofthe holder II, when desired, and possessing no sharp or ragged edgeswhich may injure the stocking, o-r by con tinued use stretch heel of theshoe out of shape, and finally chafe and cut stitching in same andotherwise mar finish of the heel.

The serpentine formation of the shield provides a characteristicresilience and flexibility thereto so that the shield has a moderatetendency to expand laterally thus insuring that it will, at all ISISvtimes, snugly engage the internal surfaces of the cover and particularlyat the edges thereof.

In order to assist in locking the shield in retracted position in thepocket when not in use, the flaring edges I6 are provided. When the wireshield is pushed into the holder the straight portions of the shield arebrought closer together for compact storage. For use, the shield may bewithdrawn manually to project, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, inwhich position the aligned portions of the shield flare slightly infan-like manner to provide wider area and greater flexibility forhandling in the shoe. In order to prevent dislocation of the shield withrespect to the holder or handle I I and to insure maintenance of thestraight portions of the shield in the desired alignment disclosed,holder Il has a lower guide stitching 32 and parallel upper guidestitching 33 for binding the leather sheets I2 and I3 together betweeneach length of wire. In addition to maintaining the wire lengths inposition, stitching 32 and 33 assists in maintaining the shield in thepocket when not in use. Accidental projection of the shield from thepocket is additionally prevented by the undressed character of the innerfaces of leather sheets I2 and I3.

The sturdy construction described has been found durable and convenientin operation. The wire shield may easily be withdrawn to project fromthe holder and in such position its inherent flexibility about thelongitudinal axis renders it readily conformable to the individualconfiguration of the shoe and foot of the wearer. The construction, asindicated in Fig. 3, is flexible in either direction, hence mayconveniently be used with either surface exposed. After use the shieldmay easily manually be pushed into the holder for compact storage, inwhich condition the holder may conveniently be packed or carried on theperson without conspicuous or uncomfortable bulging. Whether the shieldis extending or withdrawn into the cover, if it should be cast on thefloor and stepped on accidentally, no injury will result because of itstendency to lie flat.

If desired, the materials employed in forming the shield and cover maybe of ne quality and attractive appearance such as to be productive of arelatively ne article of merchandise. On the other hand, thecharacteristics described above are obtainable through the use of cheapmaterials without loss of the several advantages referred to, Either orboth of the outer surfaces of sheets l2 and I3 which may be of anydesired material, may be decorated in any desired manner.

By the above description, the shoe horn of this invention is stated asbeing extensible from and retractible into the sheath or holder Il, butit is also within the purview of this invention to have the shield orshoe horn, proper, 22 to be fixed in its extended relation to the sheathor holder Il as shown in Fig. 1. This may be accomplished by anysuitable means, such, for one instance, as having the stitches 32 or 33,or both, su'iciently tight as to resist inward movement of 'the shield22 into the holder or sheath Il.

I claim:

l. A shoe-horn including a flexible leather pocketed type handle, and aflexible wire shoeengaging element slidable therein, said handle havinga row of stitches for retaining said element in the pocket, and saidelement having smooth surfaces tofacilitate its sliding movement withrespect to said stitches.

2. A shoe-horn having a handle with a relatively wide end portion and aexible shoe-engaging element comprising a plurality of spaced resilientbars attached to and extending from said relatively wide end portion ofthe handle and normally disposed to lie flat in the same plane butbendable freely out of said plane, when used, to conform toconfiguration of a shoe heel.

3. A shoe-horn comprising a handle portion and a plurality ofsubstantially parallel bars attached to said handle portion andresiliently connected together alternately at their opposite ends so asto be biased to normally lie in the same plane and to be yieldablydeformed from said plane when used.

4. A shoe-horn comprising a strand of material bent in serpentine shapeto provide relatively long and substantially parallel bar portionsnormally lying in the same plane, the portions of the strand connectingthe bar portions giving resiliency and flexibility to the horn so thatthe horn is biased to normally lie substantially at and is deformed,under conditions of use, to conform to the heel of the shoe and foot.

5. A shoe-horn as set forth in claim 4 and wherein there is a flexiblehandle portion to which said bars are connected by stitches on thehandle portion extending between said bars.

6. A shoe-horn as set forth in claim 2 wherein the handle portion is ofexible material and said bars are substantially round in cross sectionand without cornered edges.

7. A shoe-horn having a pocketed type handle and a flexible andresilient shoe-engaging element arranged to slide endwise into and outof said pocket, means on said handle for limiting the outward movementof said element from said pocket and for retaining one end of saidelement within said pocket when said element is in its fully projectedposition.

EDWARD B. MORGAN.

